What You Should Know About Instagram Pods

Instagram pods are the heat now.

So over the past few weeks I’ve been looking at a way to master the Instagram phenomenon, not just for myself, but of course, for our clients. I even wrote down a few methods here. In this post, I’ll be letting you know more about this new craze, how to get in, how to participate and of course… conquer. 😀

In June 2016, Instagram began rolling out its new algorithmic timeline which changed the order of posts in people’s feeds, favouring popular posts over chronology. Instagram bloggers have been complaining that it’s becoming harder to gain followers organically. Faced with this new challenge, they’re fighting back. In pod-form. – Mashable.

First things first. What are Instagram Pods?

A ‘pod’ is a secret group of bloggers or influencers that want to ensure their content is always seen, despite the new algorithm.

In plain English, a pod is a group of Instagrammers (that could be anything from 15 to 100 people) who tell each other when they post and promise to like and comment on everyone else’s to promote their visibility. It’s basically an engagement group.

How Do They Work?

Pods are formed by creating group messages of around 10 to 20 users, usually bloggers, influencers and content creators, with the occasional business in there too. Users are expected to follow one another in the group. Once that’s done, they send over a photo they’ve just posted so that other pod members can like and comment on it.

The hope behind the pods is that the increased engagement from comments and likes on the posts will make them more likely to appear higher in their followers’ feeds.

“So where’s this pod”, you ask. How does one join?

Well…Trying to find and get into an Instagram Pod is incredibly challenging! I spent well over a 3 days searching, in an attempt to get into one of these Instagram pods. I even got banned after a few hours on one. But when I found one, I found them all. 🙂

To admit you’re in an Instagram Pod is to admit you’re attempting to “cheat” the Instagram algorithm. And by cheating, you’re admitting your engagement numbers are not legitimate. Most social media managers would never admit this as it would ruin their reputation.

This is most likely why Pods are not open for the public.

Different pods also have different rules, which means the experience of one pod member might be different to another. Some groups have time limits on when people need to like and comment, some have a minimum word comment and ban on emojis to avoid generic comments.

The likes + comments received from group members helps you boost the engagement and visibility of your post on Instagram, which in turn helps you attract new followers.

Most pods are found through Facebook groups, and then through there, you get an invite.

The Telegram Approach

Most of the Pod communication happen on Telegram. It’s kinda like Whatsapp, without all the bells and whistles.

Depending on the group, there may be hundreds or even thousands of members.

In a Telegram rounds group, everyone posts at specific scheduled times and not sporadically throughout the day.

For example: If you’re in a group of 50 people with a Round scheduled at 5 PM, you’ll get 50 new likes on your most recent post on Instagram, starting at 5 PM. You must reciprocate as well, so you must also give 50 likes back — one to each participating group member. This must all be completed (usually) within an hour so everyone gets the best results possible.

Most Telegram engagement groups host several scheduled rounds each day that occur every day. You can pick and choose which rounds you participate in, and aren’t obligated to “catch up” on rounds that you missed or did not participate in.

The Pros And Cons of Instagram Pods

The benefits
* Increased visibility in top posts
* Guaranteed increase in engagement
* Meet people in your niche

The cons
* Risking shadowban
* Big time investment – honestly, liking over 100 posts (depending on the rule) can be frustrating!
* Notifications can be overwhelming

So are IG pods worth it? Most definitely.

Joining Instagram pods has its ups and downs. But don’t take what others said for granted. They may prove to be beneficial for your Instagram marketing strategy, so you should at least give them a try. Nevertheless, pods or no pods, one thing is for sure. Instagram is a prime channel to promote your brand.

If you’re serious about your Instagram following, becoming a member of a pod could be well worth the effort and you might connect with new people that you wouldn’t otherwise have met.